Turkey to help Crimean Tatars in construction of mosque and housing for IDPs

Turkish parliamentarians hope that the indigenous people of the Crimea will eventually live freely in their historic homeland

KYIV (QHA) -

Representatives of the Turkish Parliament promised support to the Crimean Tatars in the construction of housing for Internally Displaced Persons and attract investment in the construction of the cathedral mosque in Kyiv.

According to QHA correspondent, the relevant issues were discussed at the meeting of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people with the MPs of the Parliament of the Turkish Republic, which was held at the Mejlis Office in Kyiv.

The delegation of Turkish parliamentarians, headed by the Chairman of the Committee for International Relations of the Parliament of Turkey Volkan Bozkır, is currently on an official visit to Ukraine. All participants of the delegation are members of the Committee on International Relations of the Turkish Parliament. The meeting was also attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkey to Ukraine Yonet Can Tezel.

The Crimean Tatar representatives at the meeting included the leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Ilmi Umerov, members of the Mejlis Eskender Bariev and Riza Shevkiev and the First Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs of Ukraine Yusuf Kurkchi.

The representatives of the Crimean Tatar people informed the guests about the situation in the occupied Crimea, about illegal arrests and fines in relation to Crimean Tatars, as well as numerous searches, bullying and torture conducted by occupation law enforcement agencies.

Chairman of the Committee for International Relations of the Turkish Parliament Volkan Bozkır told journalists that the Crimean Tatar people can count on the all-round support of the indigenous people of the Ukrainian peninsula and the non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

“Our position is clear and consistent. We do not recognize the annexation and occupation of the Crimea. We hope that the persecution of the Crimean Tatars will cease and they will live freely at home, in the Crimea," the Turkish MP stated.

Volkan Bozkır further noted that the Turkish parliamentarians came to Ukraine to meet with their colleagues in the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. In the meantime, they have already met with Ukrainian officials, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, held fruitful meetings with the Crimean Tatar community.

Ilmi Umerov, Deputy Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, told journalists that not only global political issues were discussed at the meeting. Thus, representatives of the Turkish parliament promised comprehensive support to the Crimean Tatars in the implementation of specific topical projects, in particular, assistance in building a mosque in Kyiv and housing for internally displaced persons from the Crimea. According to him, now the possibility of attracting Turkish investments to the construction of the mosque is being considered.

“We discussed the relationship between Turkey and Ukraine, in particular, the Crimean Tatar question. Spoke about the construction of a mosque, talked about the construction of thousands of apartments. The final solution on the housing has not yet been made. And regarding the construction of the mosque, most likely, the issue will be resolved positively and due to some Turkish funds, or at the expense of the agency for international development of TIKA, a cathedral mosque will be built in Kyiv. I do not think that this issue will really be solved this year, since it is still at the initial stage: the land has not yet been fully allocated. First we need to get the land, then make the appropriate project with all the necessary communications and technical conditions and then start the construction.”

At the end of the meeting, guests from Turkey and hosts from Ukraine exchanged souvenirs. In particular, the Turkish MPs brought a decorative plate with a Crimean Tatar tamga and national ornament.

In turn, representatives of the Mejlis presented the Turkish guests with a book about the well-known classics of Persian poetry, sophistic philosopher Celaleddin Rumi.

After the meeting in the Mejlis, the delegation of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Grand National Assembly of the Turkish Republic went to the Ukrainian parliament, where they met with the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Andrii Parubiy.